Client Perspectives
What clients say about working with us.
We do not publish client names without permission, and we do not use engagements as case studies without a direct conversation. The perspectives below come from clients who have agreed to share their experience in general terms.
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Perspectives from principals we have worked with
"We engaged Pelangi Strategy before our first move into Thailand. What we received was not a country brief — it was an honest assessment of whether we, specifically, were ready. The answer was not entirely what we expected, but it was what we needed to hear. We adjusted our timeline and the subsequent move went considerably more smoothly for it."
"The governance review was commissioned ahead of a Series A raise. The process was discreet and thorough, and the written recommendations were practical rather than theoretical. Our legal counsel commented that it was among the cleaner governance documents they had seen from a firm at our stage. I think that partly reflects the quality of the draft memorandum we received."
"I brought my financial model and a draft board presentation to the reading session. What I found valuable was not that the adviser corrected errors — I had already reviewed it carefully — but that the questions surfaced assumptions I had not articulated, including some that did not hold up well under scrutiny. The one-page note was also genuinely useful."
"What distinguished this engagement from others we had tried was that the person we spoke with at the beginning was the person who did the work. There was no handoff to a junior team. The market entry brief was specific to our situation, not a recycled template with our name on it."
"We commissioned the governance review at a moment of leadership transition. The sensitivity of the findings was handled with care — the chairperson received the written document first, and the wider circulation happened at a pace and in a form that we controlled. The revised memorandum saved us considerable time with our legal advisers."
"The reading session is an unusual offering, and I was not entirely sure what to expect. What I found was a structured conversation with someone who had read my materials carefully and was willing to push back on the parts that did not hold together. I left with clarity on two decisions I had been avoiding. That is worth more than the fee."
Illustrative Cases
How these engagements have been used
The cases below are composites, presented in general terms. They illustrate the kinds of situations our engagements address, without identifying any specific client.
Challenge
A Malaysian manufacturer considering Vietnam
The firm had received informal introductions to potential distribution partners in Ho Chi Minh City. The CEO was enthusiastic but the board was cautious. Neither side had a clear picture of what operating in Vietnam actually entailed for a firm of this type and size.
Our Work
We produced a market entry brief covering the regulatory requirements for foreign manufacturing investment, the landscape of distribution relationships in the sector, currency and remittance considerations, and an assessment of the firm's readiness given its current management structure and financial position.
Outcome
The brief recommended proceeding with a modified approach — a representative office rather than a full manufacturing operation in the first phase. The firm followed this path. The initial office opened eight months later, within budget, with one of the distribution partners identified in the brief.
Challenge
A family business approaching its third generation
The founding patriarch had stepped back from day-to-day operations. Three family members held director positions with overlapping and undocumented authorities. An institutional investor had expressed interest but raised questions about governance before proceeding.
Our Work
The governance review examined the formal board documents alongside the informal authority patterns that had developed over thirty years. We conducted individual conversations with each director and with two non-family senior managers. Findings were presented first to the chairperson.
Outcome
The revised governance memorandum was adopted with minor amendments. The investor proceeded to due diligence three months later. The family found the process clarifying — it surfaced assumptions that had not been articulated and created an agreed basis for decision-making that the family directors subsequently referred to regularly.
Challenge
A founder preparing for a partnership discussion
The founder had drafted a partnership agreement and a three-year strategy memo. She was about to present both to a potential partner. She had no one within her organisation senior enough to review the documents critically before that meeting.
Our Work
The reading session ran for four hours. We had reviewed both documents in advance and prepared a series of questions. The session surfaced three material assumptions in the strategy memo that the founder had not made explicit, and two terms in the draft agreement that warranted legal review before signature.
Outcome
The strategy memo was revised before the meeting. The two agreement terms were reviewed by the founder's legal adviser and one was changed materially. The partnership discussion proceeded on a clearer basis. The founder described the session as the most useful four hours she had spent on the business that year.
Our Track Record
A measure of the work
MCCG-aligned governance review methodology, updated through the 2024 revision
Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia certification held by founding principal
Active participant in ASEAN Business Advisory Council working group on cross-border frameworks since 2021
Contact Details
Reach us directly
Phone
+60 12-845 9376Address
Block C-12-3, Mont Kiara Sophia
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Office Hours
Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm MYT
Appointments preferred
Your Turn
If any of this sounds relevant to where you are, we are glad to have a conversation.
The first conversation costs nothing. We will tell you honestly whether we think we can be useful, and if not, we will say so.
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